Photography tips for Beginners

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Anyone can pick up a phone to take a photo, but it takes a skilled photographer to encapsulate a truly great image. Wondering how to get the most out of your smartphone camera? Could there be more to mobile photography than just filters to make your pictures look better? We’re covering some of the best known tips to ensure that your photos are of high quality.

1. Clean the Lens

Your phone sure does spend a lot of time in your pocket, bag or hand as a result of which it gets dirty. Dirt, grease and fingerprints on your lens affects the quality of your photos. Taking photos with a dirty glass lens results in blocked light entering the camera’s sensors, leaving smudges and blurs on your image. Clear images spring from a clean lens.

2. Perspective.When it comes to photography, it isn’t as simple as front view and back view. There are multiple angles that you could consider to really catch a unique picture. So if it calls for you to get down on your knees, lay on the ground or climb a ladder, do it! The possibilities are unlimited and each of them deserves a fair share of all the glare.

3. Set the Focus

Ensure that the subject of your photo is in sharp focus. If the subject is constantly moving, ensure that right before you take the shot, you tap the screen to make sure it stays in focus. Once you get the photo of your desired subject, draw more attention to it by blurring images in the background by making use of certain apps.

4. Zoom Not.
Your phone camera isn’t a DSLR. Zooming in unnecessarily results in blurry pictures with which you can’t do much. Try moving in closer to the object of interest as much as you can. If you see something that piques your interest, get as close to it as possible and focus your phone camera to get the best shot. One of the biggest mistakes aspiring phone photographers make is using zoom on their phones.

5. Make use of The Rule of Thirds.
The rule of thirds requires you to mentally divide the image you wish to capture using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. This way your image has a total of 9 subdivisions. Make sure that the object of interest is aligned with one of the vertical or horizontal lines. It could also be positioned at the point of intersections of these imaginary lines. 6. Refrain from using filters.
Filters might up the total effect that you wish to bring to your image, but you may want to avoid taking photos using filters. Instead, take the original picture in color and then chose your filters. An original click is one of a kind. Filters take away the realism of your picture and must be used only if there’s a certain angle you wish to achieve. 7. Be Ready!
Keep your phone in camera mode so you can immediately capture the moment, which is likely to slip by you if you take too much time. Keep your phone at a location where it’s possible to access it quickly. Charge your phone at all times, and carry your charger with you wherever you go. Photography should be the aim, so switch your phone to airplane mode so you’re less likely to get distracted.

8. Use Leading Lines. Leading lines are a very useful compositional tool as it helps to focus the viewer’s eye on the subject of the matter, leading the eye deeper into the image. It entails the use of vertical and horizontal lines that converge at a point, focusing attention on the subject. In order to make use of leading lines, you might have to constantly change your position. 9. Play with ShadowsIt is wonderful to see what light can do to a picture. Shadows create some of the most interesting scenes and it’s amazing how a simple scene can be captured in a unique way. When the sun is at its peak, make sure you follow the rays to locations where light doesn’t penetrate as much as they do at other times. This way you can click away at a rather intricate angle. 10. Take multiple shots
If you see something that grabs your attention, don’t just take one shot and settle at that. The chances of getting a good photo with your first shot are rather slim. Try shots from varied angles and distances. Review your photos so as to get an idea of what’s working and what isn’t. If you find an angle or point of view interesting, then take multiple shots from that position. This way you get a well composed shot that is in sharp focus. The best facet of digital photography is that you can delete all the photos that don’t work. 11. Use Panorama ModeThere are certain situations under which the standard camera just won’t do the scene that you’re trying to capture any justice. You might wish to take a shot of an expansive landscape, or a wide building, but can’t fit everything in one single frame. This is where panorama mode comes in handy.

12. Don’t Over-Process Your Photos
Resist the urge to use too many apps or overly strong effects when editing your photos. The egregious mistake of thinking that using photo editing apps will turn a bad photo into a good one should not be made. Concentrate on getting a sharp, well composed shot before using any apps. Apps can work well to enhance a good photo, not a bad one. Over using of HDR apps is also a rookie mistake. Though it brings out lost detail in dark photos, it needs to be used with restraint.
There you have it. No DSLR required and certainly no stereotypical type of professionalism. With a little bit of practice and the incorporation of these tips, you can create high quality photos in almost no time at all. Snap attack is just around the corner! Snap away and capture the best.